Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday withdrew a federal lawsuit against Enbridge, a Canadian company that owns the Line 5 pipeline.
Instead, the Democratic governor detailed that the state is “shifting its legal strategy,” to use a state lawsuit filed by Attorney General Dana Nessel to shut down the pipeline.
Whitmer called for Line 5 to be terminated “as soon as possible.”
“I fully support the Governor in her decision to dismiss the federal court case and instead focus on our ongoing litigation in state court. The state court case is the quickest and most viable path to permanently decommission Line 5. The Governor and I continue to be aligned in our commitment to protect the Great Lakes and this dismissal today will help us advance that goal,” Nessel said in a statement.
Critics have slammed Whitmer’s obsession with the pipeline, arguing its termination would lead to higher energy prices and a risk of job loss for many.
Recently, the White House confirmed numerous reports that the group is analyzing effects of the potential termination of the same pipeline that Whitmer has railed against.
Members of the Michigan legislature encouraged the governor to seek alternative solutions to the issue.
“There are viable alternatives to shutting the pipeline down altogether, such as a tunnel project, that would ensure the safety of our Great Lakes while delivering resources that people need. The governor has balked at such a common-sense solution, and desperately went to Washington, D.C. for help,” said State Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock). “I am hopeful other lawsuits meet the same fate as this one. We need practicality as we approach this challenge, not pointless litigation and partisan stubbornness.”
“Our officials must stop threatening to shut down the pipeline — a disastrous proposal that would cut off fuel for our communities and increase costs for families,” added Rep. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs).
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Governor Gretchen Whitmer” by City of Detroit. Background Photo “Mackinac Bridge” by Peter K Burian. CC BY-SA 4.0.
